Coffee Cup and A Sharpie Marker
by doublecheeseburger
Summary: "I like tea and she loves coffee."
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. Yes, I know. My other stories are still in progress. Don't worry. It will be updated soon! ^_^**

**My new story. Nothing much to say. Hope it is interesting enough for you guys. (Read with caution. This fic is yet to be proofread) **

**Disclaimer: Mai Hime and it's characters are owned by Sunrise.**

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><p><strong>The Coffee Cup and A Sharpie Marker.<strong>

**Chapter 1**

_How ironic._

_For someone who didn't even drink coffee, such a nice twist in the plotline, isn't it? Still, I have tried all types of coffee ever existed in this world and I thank God for the existence of tea leaves. I don't mind the smell—the pungent aroma of dark-roasted beans. It somehow gives me this calming effect but the taste is what really bothers me._

_What I'm doing is some sort of an art. It is something that comes from the spirit. It takes a force of will, learning my own abilities, trusting my tools. Most of it is taught and the rest is relies on natural talent and aptitude. The theory could be learned but it would take more than that for someone to be great at it._

_It is a process and a labor of love. Through a mix of raw skill and luck, it become my passion and my most addictive hobby._

_If only people knew what my major in college is…_

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><p>"You forgot to take this yesterday, Shizuru."<p>

"Oh? What is it?"

"Handouts for our final. We have to make a research on Li-Fraumeni Syndrome."

She involuntarily frowned at the blonde girl before her who was giving the exact same reaction,

"We? I didn't realize that we're in the same group. I thought it is yet to be decided."

"It is selected by default."

"Default?" She asked, arching one brow at the nonchalant look on the blonde's face, "And who decided that?"

"Haruka Armitage." The blonde grinned more, "…in short—_me_."

"I should've known." Shizuru sighed heavily, walking away with coursework papers in her hand. She placed it near the counter before reaching for the small cup which was pre-heated atop the coffee maker.

"What would you like to have for today?"

"I want to try mocha latte!"

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><p>Haruka left minutes earlier as more people walked into the café for their morning pick-me-up—probably she didn't want to disturb her with her work.<p>

Orders were taken, 25 drinks on queue and in the midst of white collars and sleek grey coats, Shizuru spotted a flash of red sweatshirt. The contrast diverted her attention for a few moments as her hands worked on pouring skimmed milk into 5 tall cups of latte. Carefully putting on the lids and serving them to the awaiting customers, Shizuru's eyes went back to search for the distracting red and found her already at the front counter, ready to order.

Shizuru had missed her chance again—7 times! She found herself grudgingly glaring at the spiky haired boy who barely could get his cap fit on his head because of his hair kept poking out. Shaking the thought out of her head, Shizuru resumed her work, completing five more orders as her ears caught the voice which had haunted her day at classes and sleep at nights.

Shizuru scooted closer to the front counter. She was not going to miss it, at least not today.

"Can I get a cup of Americano?"

"W-what size, miss?" Takeda, always stuttered for no apparent reason—Shizuru felt like smashing a mug on his face.

"Grande."

"Can I get your name, miss?"

Shizuru's eyes instantly flickered but still focused at task in hands. _Please say your name… I want to know your name…_

"Kruger."

"Your first name, miss?"

_Oh Takeda… I want to slap you sometimes!_

There was a short pause before a reply came in a slightly irritated tone—Shizuru could tell.

"Is it even necessary?"

Through the corner of her eye, Shizuru knew Takeda was squirming on his feet as he started to scribble the order on the paper cup,

"My apologies, miss. I just want to avoid confusion in the orders." Takeda smiled, gaining confidence—judging from the tone of his voice. Shizuru could see the lady was a bit reluctant but finally gave in with a sigh.

"Natsuki." She spoke, pausing, "Natsuki Kruger."

A satisfactory grin formed on Takeda's face as he wrote it on the cup, "It would be $2.55, Miss _Natsuki_ Kruger."

Shizuru tilted her head up slightly, noticing the frown on Natsuki's face when she heard Takeda uttering her name so casually. Shizuru just wasn't sure where he got his nerve when it came to this mysterious raven haired girl before them. Was he trying his luck? Shizuru knew he was not even close of receiving a good response from the other person—at least she could tell from what she saw on the blunette's face.

"One Americano, grande—"

"I'm on it!"

Not even letting him finish, Shizuru took the cup and started to prepare the drink. Like she said earlier, she was not going to miss it today. As she poured the espresso into the cup, she tilted her head up again, finding Natsuki standing near the magazine rack—a travelling journal in her hands. _Travel? Does she like to travel?_

Carefully filling up the cup with hot water to complete the exact measurement, Shizuru reached for a lid and she securely capped it. She took a glance at the blunette; still engrossed with the magazine in hands. She glanced at her left—Takeda was busy taking orders. Her other colleagues were also preoccupied with their chores. She silently snuck her hand into her apron, pulling out a Sharpie marker and rapidly scribbling at the cup.

"A grande cup of Americano for Natsuki Kruger!" Shizuru called, placing the cup atop the counter and she quickly went back to prepare another drink for other customers.

"Thank you."

With her face hidden beneath the cap, she gave a brief nod as a reply—Shizuru wasn't ready to look at the blunette face to face yet. From the sound of the retreating footsteps and a soft ring on the door, it gave her indication that Natsuki had left the café. Shizuru sighed the air she unconsciously held moments earlier. She tip-toed slightly to look outside the glass windows. Natsuki was walking towards the opposite building and slowly disappearing from her sight.

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><p><em>I only get once a week to see her because of my classes schedule.<em>

_Tuesday morning, exactly on 8.35 a.m._

_Her usual attire: Sweatshirt. Sometimes green, sometimes red and I've seen her in yellow sweatshirt twice—with skinny jeans and Dr. Martens' boots to match. _

_Americano. Grande. $2.55. No sugar. Pure black. _

_Today is my first time serving her._

_Hope she likes it._

* * *

><p>"And I would like to call for that lady over there to explain to us the effect of caffeine on blood pressure—since she's so <em>focused.<em>"

There were ruffling sounds and suddenly things went into silence. A sharp nudge on her side brought her back from her daydream, only to find the entire hall had turned their attention solely on her. Like a deer being caught in the headlight, Shizuru blinked a couple of times, feeling confused as she took a quick look around the hall, a bit surprise with the amount of eyes fixating at her.

"What is going on…?"

Slowly sliding the book towards Shizuru, Haruka tapped at a certain paragraph, until—

"No. Don't help her, Miss Armitage or I _will _deduct your marks from this upcoming test."

The lady's voice was stern. Haruka slowly pulled back her hand and ducked her head from the piercing stare. She mouthed a silent 'I'm sorry' at Shizuru, leaving the brunette more confused than ever.

"Please, stand up, Miss Viola."

Shizuru was still baffled at the whole situation. She hesitantly stood up from her seat, fixing the hem of her cardigan which was slightly crumpled.

"Please, explain to your classmate the effect of caffeine on blood pressure. Maybe some of your friends here are still not understand with it?"

Shizuru blinked again and finally everything came back flooding her mind. Miss Maria was standing at the very front of that lecture hall, and there she was, daydreamed about a certain raven haired girl she had served an Americano earlier that morning.

"The effect of caffeine…" Shizuru started, pausing momentarily as she casted her gaze up to the ceiling hall. _Okay Shizuru… Think now. _

"Caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure, even if you don't have high blood pressure. It's unclear what causes this spike in blood pressure. Caffeine could block a hormone that helps keep your arteries widened. Others think that caffeine causes your adrenal glands to release more adrenaline, which causes your blood pressure to increase."

Small 'wow's and gasps could be heard across the hall. From the reaction collected amongst her classmates, Shizuru knew she was on the right path. Yet the stare Miss Maria upholding wasn't making her feel comfortable with her answer. Her thoughts worked rapidly. She knew she had read about it days before this class. A smirk slowly appeared on Miss Maria's lips and no, she was not going to let that old lady win.

"Some people who regularly drink caffeinated beverages have a higher average blood pressure than do those who drink none. Others who regularly drink caffeinated beverages develop a tolerance to it. As a result, caffeine doesn't have a long-term effect on their blood pressure. It seems that caffeine has a stronger blood pressure increasing effect in people who are older than 70 or who are overweight."

The smile slowly disappeared—it was Shizuru's turn to grin.

"If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor whether you should limit or stop drinking caffeinated beverages. If you're concerned about caffeine's effect on your blood pressure, try limiting the amount of caffeine you drink to 200 milligrams a day—about the same amount as in two 12-ounce cups of brewed coffee. Keep in mind that the amount of caffeine in coffee and other beverages varies by brand. Also, avoid caffeine right before activities that naturally increase your blood pressure, such as exercise, weightlifting or hard physical labor."

An ecstatic whistle came from behind her. Her classmates were cheering for her and it was making her excited.

"Researchers say this finding is only preliminary and more research is needed to determine exactly how caffeine intake may influence blood pressure as well as determine who's at risk."

Shizuru ended with a smile and the whole class clapped delightedly. She trained her eyes at Miss Maria's stoic face and the older woman quietly closed her eyes, nodding her head.

"Very well. You may take a seat now, Miss Viola. Eventhough you have answered it perfectly, please be more focus on this class. You have exams coming..."

"Thank you, Miss Maria. I will..."

Shizuru sat down with another round of applause from her classmates before Miss Maria dismissing it with her sharp glare.

"That was amazing." Haruka had her jaw dropped slightly, feeling amazed, "When did you read all those thing? Some of them are not even in this chapter!"

Shizuru smiled, shrugging her shoulders, "I guess I just have a lot of time at the café, so I read."

Haruka pouted slightly, "Damn it. I can't lose to you! You just wait!" she hissed before putting her attention back to the class.

Shizuru just giggled as she started to flip through her text book.

* * *

><p>"Don't frown too much. Have a nice day…"<p>

She tilted her head up, blinking in confusion upon hearing the words coming from the red head.

"What?"

"This… Who wrote this?" The red head tapped at the paper cup, earning one arched brow from the blunette. Natsuki reached for the cup and she spun it around. There was a small scribble—a very neat handwriting she must say, right under her name. Her thought quickly wandered to the moment where she was at the café earlier this morning.

"Oh, just a stupid boy who took my order this morning." Natsuki said, putting back her attention to the book in her hands.

Nao pouted slightly as she looked at the cup again, "I've never seen this before. I share coffee with you almost everyday. I think this is the first time he wrote something on your cup."

"Not like I care."

"Is he a fan of yours?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Natsuki shot a glare, Nao chuckled lightly as she took another sip.

"And this one tastes better though."

"And you should buy your own coffee." Natsuki took back the cup from Nao's hand before taking a sip. It was indeed a lot better than her usual. She took another sip. Her lips slowly worked on a smile. She had to admit, she liked it very much.

"Oi, I'm late for class, let me finish it for you." Nao outstretched her arm for the cup but Natsuki kept it away from the red head's reach and grinned.

"No. Go buy it yourself. I'm keeping this today!"

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><p><strong>Should I continue?<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello everyone! This is the latest chapter. I decided to end this story maybe in the next one or two chapters. A huge thanks to my beta, Cornelia. I made a lot of mistakes this chapter and you had to deal with it. Sorryyyyyy! T^T_

_So, please enjoy and happy reading!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime._

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><p><strong>The Coffee Cup and A Sharpie Marker<strong>

**Chapter 2**

"Double shift?"

"Yes. _Pleaaasssee!_ My girlfriend is coming and we haven't seen each other in three months. I really want to take her out for a date!"

Shizuru sighed heavily. She tapped on her phone, checking her class schedule. Unfortunately, she was free for the rest of the day and she couldn't lie about having a full schedule to that dark-haired man. Reito was practically begging—hands clasped like he was praying to an unseen entity, his golden eyes were brimming with tears, Shizuru just couldn't say no. She would like to lie about having a date with someone too but the reality hit hard—she was as single as a slice of American cheese.

Sighing again, she smiled at the young man, "Okay. I'll cover your shift. Have fun with your date."

Reito instantly lunged forward and pulled the brunette into a bear hug, "Oh my god! Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou—"

"_Okay…_ Please let go of me or I will change my mind…"

Though it sounded seemingly sweet, Reito could taste the venom hidden behind the words. Quickly loosening his grip around the brunette, he flashed a bright, sheepish grin and nodded his head.

"Thank you, Shizuru! I owe you one."

"Of course you do. But you're going to take care of the register for a while. I'm going to have a lunch." Shizuru said, taking out a small backpack from the locker.

"You made yourself a bento?"

Shizuru smiled, nodded, "Cheaper and healthier—"

_Ring!_

They heard the chime—someone had walked in. Reito quickly got into his feet and dashed to the counter, "I'll take care of it. Hello, welcome to Hime's Café…"

Shizuru was quietly eating her lunch until she heard that voice.

"Yes. Can I have a grande cup of Americano, please?"

_It's her! So she comes during lunch hours too?_

Her eyes went back and forth—bento box and the door—should she dash out the room and make a dramatic appearance at the front register?

"This is your change. Please wait while I make your order. Thank you very much!"

She heard Reito's cheery voice and her heart sank deeper. She had missed her chance, again! Picking up her chopsticks, she jabbed at a piece of omelets and chomped down in a very uncharacteristic manner.

_What a luck…_

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><p>"Ne, Natsuki..."<p>

"Hmm?"

"What do you do when you're feeling like everything in your life is going downstream when you're trying to go upstream?"

"I'm not a salmon."

Nao's brows twitched and she craned her neck around instantly upon hearing the answer, finding Natsuki inspecting the cup like a CSI detective looking for fingerprints.

"What are you doing?"

Natsuki kept mum, frowning as she took a sip from the cup in her hands, "It doesn't taste as good as the other day…"

"Really?" Nao took the cup from Natsuki's grasp and taking a sip too, "Yeah, it doesn't. Was it the same guy who took your order?"

Natsuki shook her head, reaching for the cup again, "No. A different guy. He was all smiles, I felt like giving him a punch or two…"

Nao snorted instantly, "What!? Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know… Just feel like it." Natsuki shrugged as she handed over the cup to Nao, "Here. You can have this today…"

"What? Do I look like a trash bin to you?" Nao scowled but took the cup nonetheless. Natsuki grinned at the response as she collected her belongings and started to walk.

"Yeah, you do look like one sometimes."

Nao wanted to counter the snarky remark but, hey, free coffee almost every day—why would she risk losing such privilege by making a certain blunette pissed off? Nao smiled silently as she sipped the coffee, savoring the bitter taste in her mouth. Taking a look at the cup in her hands, she started to notice something,

_Oh? There's no message on this cup…_

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><p>Tuesday mornings started off the entire week on a bad note because she was free on Mondays—5 classes in a row; morning to late afternoon. After that, she had to rush to the nearest convenience store for an instant lunch before her part-time work. In short, Tuesday was a very dire day to her—and it was raining. Not heavily, just drizzle.<p>

Hurriedly pulling at the door, she heard the bell ring and a bubbly voice greeted her as soon as she stepped into the café.

"Welcome to Hime's Café!"

Too bubbly, she thought—her brows unconsciously knotted into a frown and she didn't need a mirror to see how she looked like right now.

The café was almost empty—maybe she was earlier than usual. Natsuki lifted her wrist to look at the watch—yup, she was early. She shook her head to get rid of some rain water. Thankfully, her upturned hood had kept her from getting very wet. She walked to the counter and saw this crimson haired girl, smiling so widely Natsuki felt her own cheeks straining.

"Good morning! May I take your order?

"Americano. Grande." Natsuki snuck a hand inside her jacket and pulled out 3 pieces of one dollar bills. It was a routine—she knew the exact price and had them prepared earlier.

"That would be $2.55."

The crimson haired girl managed a smile and continued scribbling on the paper cup. Taking the money from Natsuki's outstretched hand, she keyed in the price and was about to return the change when Natsuki waved her hand, declining.

"Keep it."

The girl's smile was lopsided, maybe a little happy as she stored away the change in the register.

"I'll prepare your drink now. Please wait a moment."

Natsuki gave her a nod and walked to the magazine rack. A finger trailed the outline of a magazine—her favorite travelling journal. Pulling it out from its stash, she quietly flipped through the pages until she felt a soft vibration inside her pocket. She placed the magazine back into its shelf and pulled out her cellphone.

It was a text message from Nao. Natsuki instantly frowned as she read at the content. _Seriously…She wants me to pick her up? I should've kicked her ass when I had the chance—_

"Americano for Natsuki Kruger!"

Quickly keeping her phone back into her jacket, Natsuki walked to the counter and took her cup but stopped in her tracks, realizing something.

"I never mentioned my name earlier…"

The other girl flashed another smile as she rested her arms against the tall counter, "I know you. We're in the same math class."

Apparently her expression had turned a little amusing, because the other girl chuckled.

"You really need to be careful with that frown… You might get wrinkles early, 'ya know?" She said, tapping at her temple. Natsuki reflexively lifted a hand and stroked her fingers between her eyebrows.

When the girl straightened, Natsuki's eyes immediately searched for a name tag and she found it—_Mai Tokiha_—slanted and loosely hung on the apron.

"Say 'Hi' to Nao for me!" Mai waved with a wide grin before went into the back room, leaving the dumbfounded blunette alone at the front door.

"We're in the same math class…? I don't remember seeing her face before—"

Something collided into her roughly, sending Natsuki and the blind person who smacked her into the small table beside them.

"Oh god, I'm sorry—"

It was a girl, the delicate lilt of the voice told her instantly. Cold and wet fingers wrapped around her wrist and Natsuki found herself back on feet in seconds.

"I was trying to take cover from the rain, so I—"

The girl's head was lowered—brunette hair hung loosely, covering her eyes from Natsuki's view. She seemed to focus on the ground and Natsuki followed her gaze to find a nice pool of dark liquid on her Dr. Martens' and one empty cup rolled idly to the side.

_Great._

"I-I'm so sorry!" The other girl quickly got on her knees as she pulled a napkin, wiping the stain away. It was sweet but unnecessary and Natsuki crouched as well, taking the girl's stained hands off her feet.

"It's fine, really." No, it wasn't. She could hear something ticking inside her brain—a mental time-bomb counting down very fast and ready to explode in a matter of seconds.

The other girl looked up at Natsuki—the eyes, she noticed the eyes first because they had took her ability to speak and defused the mental time-bomb at the very first glance. As she stared at that pair of crimson eyes, she felt like a black hole erupted in her chest and sucked every molecule of oxygen out of her body.

"I'm terribly sorry. Would you mind waiting for a while? I'll make a new one for you!"

Natsuki blinked rapidly, the words registering very slowly in her mind, "No-no. It's okay. I'm in a rush anyway."

"But—"

"—I'll drop by next time."

It was a promise, to herself mostly but the smile she received suggested that the other girl was also looking forward to its fulfilment.

"Right. Next time then!"

Giving a quick nod, Natsuki pulled the door open and hastily left the cafe. She wasn't in a rush really—Nao could wait. She could have accepted the offer of coffee and exchanged a few words with the girl at the café, but it would have been a bad idea. Her short breaths and irregular heartbeats were clear enough symptoms of her condition.

At least her wildly beating heart left her with no doubts.

Tuesday mornings were going to be far from tedious from now on.

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><p><strong>Okay, review anyone? ^_^<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

_Oh hey! It's been a loooong time, yeah? Hahaha~_

_Okay then. Just enjoy this chapter, I hope?_

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><p><strong>The Coffee Cup and A Sharpie Marker<strong>

**Chapter 3**

"Someone asked me about you."

Shizuru was in the middle of pulling out a bag of coffee beans from the cabinet and there was a short lapse between lifting and holding which almost made the bag slip from her hands.

"I'm sorry?"

"My neighbour," Mai added, shuffling to Shizuru, "She asked about this one particular brunette haired girl," Mai air-quoted with a sly grin, "She's obviously been watching you all this time,"

Shizuru halted her movements. Her brows knotted in a soft frown, looking noticeably worried, "You're scaring me, Mai…"

"Don't worry! Don't worry!" Mai laughed, waving her hands, "I've known her since high school. She's a good girl and a pretty one, I must say…"

The soft creak of the cabinet door being opened and closed filled the air as Shizuru finished putting all the bags into its specific compartment. Sighing, Shizuru shook her head and smiled.

The thing about Mai was she loved being a matchmaker extraordinaire and she had been doing so for every girl she found who had even the slightest potential as a girlfriend material. Even though Shizuru found it a little distressing, her staggering enthusiasm was very much appreciated.

"Is she one of the regulars?"

"Yes, but I rarely saw her during my shift. She likes to drink Americano, by the way!"

_Americano?_ The word itself functioned as a hypersensitive trigger as an image of one particular raven-haired beauty instantly popped inside her mind. Shizuru just couldn't control the sudden leap of her heart and the curl of her lips.

"Oh, really?"

Mai added, "Avid drinker."

"I see."

"And you're smiling… don't tell me that you're going to give it a shot?" Mai grinned wider, taking the wide-eyed response from the brunette as a hint of interest.

"What? No! I don't know her, but if she's one of the regulars, perhaps I could at least talk to her?" Shizuru chuckled at the pout on Mai's face.

"You better do that, doctor!"

* * *

><p>"Med school?"<p>

"That's what she said to me."

"Does she want to be a nurse? A doctor? Or a pharmacist?"

"Do I look like a Yahoo Answers to you? Why don't you ask her yourself?" Nao frowned, munching down her sandwich and going back to read the newspaper, "And what's with your questions anyway? You made me walk all the way to Mai's apartment just to ask those questions, you know?"

"Her door is right opposite yours."

"Exactly!"

Natsuki frowned at the response. Her hand reached out for Nao's sandwich but was quickly swatted by Nao's. The back of her hand stung with pain and a small patch of redness formed, contrasting with her pale skin.

"Not my sandwich."

"Cheapskate!" Natsuki grunted, rubbing her sore hand. She wasn't that hungry to begin with. In fact, she hadn't had any appetite for the past few days. She couldn't sleep at night and during the day, her mind would wander aimlessly, but every thought came back to that one brunette haired girl—like a boomerang.

"Seriously… why didn't we have lunch at Hime's Café? The food there is so much better than this!" Nao whined, slowly sipping her brewed coffee, "And this sucks! I want my usual coffee."

"You mean MY usual coffee." Natsuki shot a glare at the redhead, "And no, I'm just not ready yet…"

"Ready for what?"

"To see that girl…"

Nao snorted, "Don't worry. She probably couldn't even remember you. She's a barista, for God's sake. She's got like hundreds of faces she has to look at every day, so don't worry. She won't remember you."

"Thanks, Juliet! That's really comforting…" Natsuki glared grudgingly at the redhead, but the response she got was just as intense.

"Stop calling me Juliet!"

Natsuki snickered at the outburst and started to collect her stuff.

"Where are you going?" Nao followed suit, rather in a hurry when Natsuki already left the table and walked towards the exit.

"Home."

"Could you give me a ride?"

"No. Just walk. You need a little exercise, by the way. You look a bit fat—"

Natsuki had already scampered out the café with a loud laugh when Nao threatened to hit her with the coffee mug.

* * *

><p>"Shizuru Viola!"<p>

She had to inhale _ really-really_ slow so that it didn't sound like she was annoyed. Haruka definitely had ways to tick her off sometimes—for instance, calling out her full name in the hallway with her bellowing voice. She wasn't in the mood to play along with Haruka's antics because it had been days, almost one week and a half since the last time she saw Natsuki.

And at the mention of Natsuki's name, her mind would go into auto-play mode and replaying the scene where she inconveniently bumped into Natsuki and stained her boots with freshly brewed coffee. Even though Natsuki said she would come back, but she didn't. Shizuru felt like throwing her face under a bus. She knew it wasn't physically possible to throw your face—just the face, under the bus, but please, give her that one thing.

"Yes, Haruka?"

Probably Haruka noticed something on her face because the look she was wearing as if she was looking at the most atrocious existence in the world.

"Have you slept well lately? Those dark circles around your eyes—" Haruka's face contorted, trying not to laugh. Her lips were tightly pressed but apparently it amused her too much, Haruka burst into an obnoxious laugh.

"No offense, but you look like a panda, Shizuru! Hahahahaha~"

_None taken_. Shizuru would care less about how she looked right now. The exams were just around the corner, but she had been spending most of her night wondering why Natsuki had not come back to the café like she usually did. It had definitely taken a toll on her health too.

"Ah, really? Maybe because I stayed up late these past few days…"

"Studying?"

"You could say that too…"

Haruka frowned, "What is wrong with you?"

"It's nothing." Shizuru sighed and started to walk again. Haruka trotted right behind and quickly overtook her—Shizuru promptly stopped and involuntarily frowned at the blonde in front of her.

"What is it?"

"This isn't about the exams, right?"

It was kind of a surprise to Shizuru to hear that coming from Haruka. Haruka was the kind of person who tended to be oblivious to things around her. For Haruka to notice something as discreet as her jumbled thoughts, perhaps was the most impressive thing she had learned about that blonde.

Shizuru had to admit—she was lost this time.

"No, this is not about the exams…"

* * *

><p>She wasn't sure why she had to tiptoe into that café like she was walking across the mine field. Her eyes wandered across the room, searching for that particular brunette she had been afraid of seeing. <em>And why am I have to be that afraid anyway?<em> The question she had to ask to herself over and over and yet to find the answer.

The bell chimed as she stepped in, but there was no one behind the counter. It was 11.36 pm and the café was quiet. She knew it was already late and perhaps they were ready to close, but she thought that maybe they would make her an exception. She needed her freshly brewed coffee to get her through the cramming later tonight. Canned coffee was definitely not an option for now because she already had them for days. Only with a faint thought of it would simply make her stomach churn.

Noticing there wasn't any person around, she thought that maybe she had to announce her presence a little louder.

"EXCUSE ME!"

_BUMP!_

There was a slight quake beneath her palms which were placed atop the counter, followed with a small, "Ouch!"

Natsuki's eyes widened slightly at the sound of the small whimper coming from below the counter. She tiptoed, hovering slightly over the counter to look.

"Are you okay—_oh?_"

Their reactions were mirrored—wide eyes and slightly gaping mouth.

Natsuki noticed those crimson eyes were unblinking. She was about to utter a word, but the brunette haired girl had chimed with a radiating smile, "Hi! Welcome to Hime's Café!"

She had the kind of smile that brought warmth and happiness to all who saw it. As her naturally deep pink, full lips began to slowly curl into a heartwarming smile, it created the softest hint of a dimple in her glowing cheeks. As her smile grew, Natsuki could catch dazzling glimpses of her perfect white teeth. For a fleeting moment, Natsuki had a mental picture of that brunette on a toothpaste commercial.

"H-hi!"

"Haven't seen you around lately…"

"Uh, yeah… I was kinda busy."

It was too much staring and she wondered why she had to feel embarrassed. Natsuki lowered her gaze to the mahogany counter before her, drawing an imaginary hole until she heard a giggle. Natsuki hesitantly lifted up her head, finding the brunette was all smiling again.

"I'm sorry. I should take your order now…"

"Y-yeah. It's an Am—"

"Americano…" Shizuru interjected, arching one eyebrow, "Right?"

Natsuki watched the crimson eyes twinkled as the corner of the brunette's lips rose, in unison with the heat in her cheeks, "Y-yes. Americano."

"Tall?"

"—Venti."

There was a short paused, "You're planning to stay up late tonight?"

Natsuki blinked at the question, feeling a little confused as she watched Shizuru scribbled at the paper cup with a Sharpie marker, "Yeah, kind of…"

"Tall cup should be enough for you alone. Why venti?"

"Because I have to share."

And she paused for the second time, "Ara… I see."

They went into silence for a passing moment and Natsuki watched Shizuru smiled again.

"Okay. Please wait a moment while I prepare your coffee."

"—Wait, I haven't paid…"

"Ara, it's on my tab." Shizuru smiled, "For what I did the other day."

Natsuki frowned slightly and then she remembered, "Ah, yeah! That morning!" She quickly waved, "Nah… don't worry about it!"

"Well, I should. I'm thankful enough that you didn't ask me to replace your boots with a new pair."

"No, really. I already got them cleaned up and they're an old pair anyway." Natsuki chuckled, "I shouldn't take advantage on that. So let me pay…"

Shizuru took a soft inhale of breath, locking her gaze and smiled, "No, really! If you're insisting on paying, why don't you do that tomorrow? I'll take care of tonight's coffee and you will be coming back tomorrow, okay?"

Though the demand left her a little bit confused, Natsuki complied with a hesitant nod. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to obey that brunette's request, "O-okay… Sure."

Shizuru beamed and quickly moved to the coffee machine, "I'll prepare your coffee now."

Natsuki replied with a nod again and walked to the stack of magazines on the table nearby. She took the usual travel magazine she used to flip through every time she was waiting for her coffee.

"Natsuki!"

"Yep—" Natsuki paused and had her eyes widened in surprise. She was sure she hadn't mentioned her name to that brunette. _So how the hell did she know?_

Shizuru noticed the look and understood completely—she smiled.

"By the way, my name is Shizuru…" She said, handing over the cup to the astonished raven haired girl. She chuckled again at the look Natsuki was giving, "_And_ I happened to know your name because I overheard it the other day."

And she remembered it still—like it was permanently engraved in her mind.

Shizuru watched Natsuki's expression turned softer and caught a small, almost inaudible 'oh' escaped Natsuki's mouth as she received the cup. She couldn't help the sudden leap of her heart when she saw the small smile, adorning that girl's lips.

"I should go now… Thanks for the coffee."

"Okay! See you tomorrow?" Shizuru mentally winced at the excessively cheerful tone of her own voice. _I didn't sound too eager, did I?_

Natsuki nodded her head, smiling a bit wider, "Yeah. Tomorrow." And another nod before she pushed the door open, "Good night!"

"Good night!"

_Ring!~_

Shizuru sighed, watching Natsuki's shadow slowly disappeared into the dark street. She was about to walk into the back room when the door rang again.

"Still having a customer? I thought we're supposed to close by now."

"Ara, yes. She's a regular so I didn't want to disappoint her. I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Midori laughed as she flipped the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed', "Hahaha, of course not! Don't worry! That was a very nice of you though."

Shizuru grinned, "Well, I'm just doing my job."

"And you're doing it well. Anyway, I'll lock the café for tonight since Youko got something to do. It'll be better if you start to clean up now. Where are the others?"

Shizuru pointed a thumb over her shoulder, "They're at the back, cleaning up the kitchen. I'll take care of the tables."

"Yeah, sure! Thanks!" Midori waved with a smile and she disappeared into the back room.

Shizuru started with picking up the chairs and placed them accordingly atop the table. After she was done with the chairs and tables, she moved on to her second chore which was sweeping the floor, but then she heard the doorbell rang suddenly—there was Natsuki, standing at the doorway, panting. The look on her face somewhat terrified her. Shizuru started to panic.

"Natsuki?"

"It was _you!_"

Several blinks and her thin brows slowly knotted into a soft frown, "I'm sorry?"

Natsuki shook her head and quickly lifted the cup in her left hand, "Your handwriting. It's the same like the one on my cup that day—'Do not frown too much. Have a nice day!' You were the one who wrote me this little note on my cup."

If only Natsuki could hear how fast her heart started to beat in horror—Shizuru had to come out with the best excuse. _Oh no! Maybe she thinks that I'm such a creep!_

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"

"—What are you apologizing for?" Natsuki interjected with a chuckle, leaving Shizuru completely puzzled and speechless.

"You're not angry?"

Natsuki curved up a small smile and her thin brows twitched slightly, looking pleased but a little confused, "Should I?"

"I hope not," Shizuru smiled, shuffling closer to that blunette, watching those emerald eyes glimmered under the light. Even though she never liked emerald eyes or any color similar to it, those eyes just became her new favorite color, "So, are you angry?" she asked again.

Natsuki didn't give any answer. She didn't have to. A smile was enough for an answer and she didn't need to push it further with empty words. And she knew that would be the perfect moment for her to ask for Shizuru's number. But she didn't do it. _It's too soon_, she thought.

"Um, when is your shift tomorrow?"

Natsuki turned to look—Shizuru was already staring. Her stare, her smile—Natsuki felt like running through the wall, leaving an outline of herself on the wall like in one of those cartoons she watched when she was a kid.

"My shift is in the morning."

Natsuki watched that smile grew—too bright and she was yet to get used to it, but god, she would love to watch it again and again if she was ever given such chance. She only managed a word, finding herself lacking better vocabulary during that moment.

"Okay!"

Shizuru was left speechless when Natsuki literally dashed out the entrance just as fast as she appeared earlier, leaving the ringing sound of the doorbell slowly dwindling.

"Who was that?"

"The customer I attended earlier. She left something so I kept it for her. She came to take it back."

Midori pouted and quickly nodded, "Okay then. Are you done? It's getting late. Is there anyone to come and fetch you, Shizuru?"

Shizuru kept the cleaning tools in a small cabinet and securely shut it, "My roommate. She'll be here any moment—"

A green car instantly came into a halt with a piercing screech—a close call to hit the lamp-post right outside the cafe.

"I assume that is your roommate?" Midori chuckled.

Shizuru sighed and smiled, "Yes, that's her."

* * *

><p><em>Haha! Done for today. There'll be more in the near future. ^_^<em>


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